diff --git a/core/meta/src/TStreamerElement.cxx b/core/meta/src/TStreamerElement.cxx
index f2875f1a3cb61..adc3640a90d21 100644
--- a/core/meta/src/TStreamerElement.cxx
+++ b/core/meta/src/TStreamerElement.cxx
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "ThreadLocalStorage.h"
 #include "TList.h"
 #include "TRef.h"
+#include "TRefArray.h"
 #include "TInterpreter.h"
 #include "TError.h"
 #include "TObjArray.h"
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ Bool_t TStreamerElement::CannotSplit() const
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-/// Returns a pointer to the TClass of this element.
+/// Returns a pointer to the TClass of this element and updates fClassObject.
 
 TClass *TStreamerElement::GetClassPointer() const
 {
@@ -305,9 +306,11 @@ TClass *TStreamerElement::GetClassPointer() const
 
 Int_t TStreamerElement::GetExecID() const
 {
-   //check if element is a TRef or TRefArray
-   if (strncmp(fTypeName.Data(),"TRef",4) != 0) return 0;
-
+   //check if element is a TRef or TRefArray; or if it inherits from them and class was preloaded
+   const TString clName = ExtractClassName(fTypeName);
+   TClass* const type = TClass::GetClass(clName, kFALSE, kTRUE); // do NOT update fClassObject via GetClassPointer ! and do NOT call GetClass with load=true, otherwise you'll get several failing roottests. Do NOT call TRef::Class() or TRefArray::Class() either
+   if (clName != "TRef" && clName != "TRefArray" && (!type || !(type->InheritsFrom(TClass::GetClass("TRef", kFALSE, kTRUE)) || type->InheritsFrom(TClass::GetClass("TRefArray", kFALSE, kTRUE))))) return 0;
+   
    //if the UniqueID of this element has already been set, we assume
    //that it contains the exec id of a TRef object.
    if (GetUniqueID()) return GetUniqueID();